Speedway gives $1,795,788 and funds Bear in the Chair program at Riley Hospital

Through the generosity of its customers, Speedway LLC (Speedway) gifted $1,795,788 towards clinical care and medical research at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. Central Indiana Speedway associates personally contributed an additional $4,400 to purchase 65 life-size plush animals for the newly created Bear in the Chair program.

Since 2003, Speedway has contributed approximately $9 million to Riley Hospital for Children thanks to their partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In 2012, Riley Children’s Foundation honored their number one corporate donor by naming Indiana’s only pediatric burn center as the Speedway Burn Center.

Children admitted to the hospital may feel isolated and disconnected from their home community. The Bear in the Chair program is designed to help eliminate feelings of loneliness by maintaining a connection between children being treated and their school. When an elementary age child is admitted beyond one week, the Riley Hospital for Children Child Life & School Programs will send a Bear in the Chair to the child’s classroom. The teddy bear sits at the child’s desk until he/she returns. Riley Hospital for Children staff also facilitates Facetime opportunities between the patient and their classmates and bear at school. Upon the child’s return to school, he/she can take the bear home.

The Bear in the Chair program is unique to Indiana. Riley Hospital for Children caregivers became interested in starting the program after learning of a similar effort at a children’s hospital in Seattle. The program began in the Speedway Burn Center and Riley plans to expand the opportunity to include each hospital unit.

Speedway District Manager Wayne Bartley is grateful for his generous colleagues and the supportive customers who take part in fundraisers for Riley Hospital for Children. His son, Logan, 14, was diagnosed at 6-months-old with Angelman’s syndrome, impacting approximately 1-in-20,000 children. “My son is alive because of Riley Hospital. I am honored to be part of this effort.” Logan also visits Camp Riley for youth with physical disabilities each summer.

Tony Kenney, president of Speedway LLC, presented the $1,795,788 gift during his latest visit to Riley Hospital for Children on March 27. “At Speedway, we care about the communities in which we live and work, and so many of our customers understand the impact of Riley Hospital on their families and friends. We are proud to be the number one corporate donor for Indiana’s only nationally ranked and comprehensive children’s hospital.”

About Riley Children’s FoundationRiley Children’s Foundation supports Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, Camp Riley and the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home. As Indiana’s only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital for Children has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families since 1924. Each year children from all 92 Indiana counties turn to Riley Hospital and its regional clinics throughout the state more than 300,000 times. Riley Hospital’s partnership with Indiana University Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make Riley Hospital the leader in pediatric care in the state and the region. For more information, visit RileyKids.org.

About Speedway LLCSpeedway LLC, headquartered in Enon, Ohio, is the nation’s fourth largest company-owned and -operated convenience store chain with approximately 1,480 stores located in nine states. Speedway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC). For further information about Speedway, visit the company’s web site at http://www.speedway.com.